Northern Mariana Islands Official First Day Coin Cover Available January 12

WASHINGTON - The United States Mint will accept orders for the Northern Mariana Islands Official First Day Coin Cover beginning at noon Eastern Time (ET) on January 12, 2010. Production is limited to 20,000 units.

The Northern Mariana Islands Official First Day Coin Cover contains two Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands commemorative quarter-dollar coins, one each from the United States Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver. The quarters are mounted on a handsome display card with a cancelled 44-cent Flag stamp. The postmark, November 30, 2009, SAIPAN, CNMI, marks the day the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands quarter-dollars were first released into general circulation by the Federal Reserve Bank.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands quarter is the sixth and final coin in the 2009 District of Columbia and U.S. Territories Quarters Program. The coin's reverse (tails side) features an image that represents the wealth of the islands in their natural resources of land, air and sea. Near the shore stands a large limestone latte, the supporting column of ancient indigenous Chamorro structures. A canoe of the indigenous Carolinians represents the people's seafaring skills across vast distances. Two white fairy tern birds fly in characteristic synchrony overhead. A Carolinian mwar (head lei) composed of plumeria, langilang (Ylang Ylang), angagha (Peacock Flower) and teibwo (Pacific Basil) borders the bottom of the design near the inscription NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS. The reverse was designed by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill.

The Northern Mariana Islands Official First Day Coin Cover is priced at $14.95. Orders will be accepted at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may place orders at 1-888-321-MINT (6468). A shipping and handling fee of $4.95 will be added to all domestic orders.

The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation's sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage. Its primary mission is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States Mint also produces proof, uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and platinum bullion coins.

Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, orders placed prior to the official on-sale date and time of January 12, 2010, noon ET, shall not be deemed accepted by the United States Mint and will not be honored. For more information, please review the United States Mint's Frequently Asked Questions, Answer ID #175.